Algerian international footballer Youcef Atal was handed an eight-month suspended sentence by a French court Wednesday for inciting religious hatred in a social media post about the conflict in Gaza.
The 27-year-old defender, who plays for Ligue 1 French side Nice, must also pay a fine of 45,000 euros ($49,000) for sharing a video calling for a "black day for the Jews", the Nice criminal court ruled.
Full StoryEngland great Wayne Rooney was fired as the manager of second-tier club Birmingham on Tuesday after 15 games.
Rooney earned only two wins since his controversial appointment in October. Birmingham was sixth in the Championship when he started, and has fallen to 20th.
Full StoryMohamed Salah headed off to the Africa Cup of Nations on the back of a starring role for Liverpool in its 4-2 win over Newcastle that opened up a three-point lead in the English Premier League on Monday.
An individual performance that started with his latest failure from the penalty spot ended with Salah scoring Liverpool's first and last goals and having a hand in the other two for his team in a chaotic game in wet and wild conditions at Anfield. All of the goals came in an end-to-end second half.
Full StoryRafael Nadal showed no signs of rust from his year off the tour, winning his return match over former No. 3-ranked Dominic Thiem 7-5, 6-1 at the Brisbane International on Tuesday.
The 22-time major winner hadn't played a singles match at the elite level since a second-round exit at the Australian Open last January.
Full StoryBritish forward O.G. Anunoby sparkled in his first NBA game for the New York Knicks, helping his new club upset Western Conference leader Minnesota 112-106 on Monday.
New York's Julius Randle scored a game-high 39 points while Anunoby added 17 points and six rebounds only hours after arriving from Toronto in a Saturday trade.
Full StoryManchester City had to come from behind to beat Everton 3-1 on Wednesday and climb back into the Premier League's top four.
Just back from winning its first Club World Cup title in Saudi Arabia, City went behind to Jack Harrison's first-half goal but recovered after the break thanks to a well-taken strike by Phil Foden and a penalty by Julian Alvarez.
Full StoryThree people will get a special welcome when Roma visits Juventus in Serie A on Saturday.
Roma coach José Mourinho and forward Romelu Lukaku will likely face a hostile reception in Turin while there will be a much warmer welcome for former Juventus striker Paulo Dybala — if the Argentina international is fit enough to make the trip.
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There was no festive cheer for north London rivals Arsenal and Tottenham on Thursday.
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The Boston Celtics rallied from a 21-point deficit to hand the Detroit Pistons a record-equaling 28th straight NBA defeat 128-122 in overtime on Thursday.
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More than two decades after bursting on the scene, the sun is setting on Rafael Nadal's storied career with the Spanish gladiator hoping his creaking body can hold up long enough to see out the season.
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